A TEENAGE soldier who survived a bomb blast has inspired his mother to raise money for his injured comrades.

Lance Corporal (LCpl) Freddie Good was on a routine foot patrol with 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment in the Helmand province of Afghanistan last September when the armoured vehicle following him hit a roadside bomb.

Shrapnel was lodged in LCpl Good’s neck, arms and legs. Following surgery at Camp Bastion, the main British military base in Afghanistan, he was flown to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham for further surgery and treatment.

During his stay there his mother Linda visited him and was shocked by what she saw.

“If I wasn’t the mother of a soldier I’d be unaware of the trouble the soldiers are in,” she said.

“Literally they are flying home soldiers every day who have been blinded by shrapnel, are missing limbs, have terrible head wounds. At the hospital I saw soldiers in such a state, many of them young lads who are now in a wheelchair.

“I wish the public would open their eyes and take a look around. We don’t hear enough about these poor lads who are injured.”

Mrs Good, from Cobham, decided to raise money for Help for Heroes, a charity dedicated to caring for those wounded in Britain’s current conflicts.

With the support of her colleagues, friends and family she has raised £1,000 and has more fundraising ideas in the pipeline.

“Every day on the front line in Afghanistan they wake up knowing it could be their last and without a second thought they would give their lives to save their comrades,” Mrs Good said. “This is why they need our respect, help and support.”

Help for Heroes’ philosophy is that anyone who volunteers to join the services in a time of war, knowing that they may have to risk their lives on behalf of their country, is already a hero.

To date the charity has raised £18m but more is needed to continue providing care for injured service personnel.

After spending eight weeks recovering from his injuries, LCpl Good was redeployed to Afghanistan where he joined up with his battalion on the front line. To the relief of his family he returned home unscathed on March 12 and is now spending five weeks on leave.

On Saturday he will celebrate his 20th birthday. His mother is proud of him and his comrades “who do so much and expect nothing back”.

She said: “He’s out there fighting for his life every day, even Christmas day. As lance corporal he’s had to pick up the body parts of his commander. I’d like him to be recognised by the community for his bravery.

“It’s important for people to know what happens to the soldiers when they come home injured. People don’t understand the extent of what they go through.

“They are fighting for their life, dealing with faulty equipment and are getting shot at every day. They are heroes.”